RCO celebrates 125 Years

When the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra arrives in Australia this month, it will be nearing the final stretch of a party to end all parties. This year, the Dutch ensemble turns 125, and has been celebrating by doing something no other orchestra has ever done before: touring six continents in one year.

When violinist Christian van Eggelen was growing up, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Hall and its orchestra were an ideal from the moment he began to learn his instrument.

“I’d listen to the orchestra on the radio,” he remembers. “If you’re a little boy and you get the chance to go to the Concertgebouw and hear the orchestra, it’s fantastic. You work hard for the audition, but still, it’s like a present that you are given, of being able to play in this hall every day.

And with that gift comes the obligation to do justice to all the people who have done it before you, and to do it to the best of your capabilities.”

When violinist Jane Piper joined the orchestra two years ago, she was only the second Australian ever to become a member; her compatriot Monica Gosman left shortly afterwards, leaving her as the only Australian player, currently much in demand for travel tips for the tour. She had not come to the Netherlands intending to join the orchestra, but was thrilled when she was accepted.

“Definitely the orchestra has a special sound,” she says, “and that is fed by the hall. It has a really special acoustic. But the conductors we work with are also part of that – working for different inspiring conductors has been amazing.

“The orchestra has a special relationship with [conductor] Mariss Jansons; there’s a feeling of mutual respect. When he conducts, the orchestra wants to do its best. He’s such a fantastic person on a human level, as well as on a musical level, and people feel that. It’s not about ego. It’s about making music.”

Australia marks the end of a full month on the road for the orchestra – a very long stretch for the players, many of whom have young families at home.

“The orchestra has a tremendous work ethic in that they really pitch in to the last note of every concert, making it special,” says Joel Fried, the orchestra’s head of artistic administration.

“Everybody is looking forward to playing in the Sydney Opera House. It’s such a symbol of the country. Also, to be perfectly honest, I think the players are looking forward to having summer weather at the end of a winter tour!”

For Piper, the Australian tour will be a unique opportunity to bring her new life to her old home.

“It’s an important country to tour to, and I can’t wait for my colleagues to discover it. They will love it; and I’ll make sure that they go to all the good places!”